A new method for testing brake lining materials in the laboratory is described. This method is essentially isothermal by nature, thus avoiding the usual problems associated with differences between the heat-transfer characteristics of brake assemblies in road vehicles and those of laboratory test rigs. As an example of application of the method, friction-time-temperature curves of five different brake lining materials are presented and discussed in terms of time- and temperature-depending transformations in the composition of the lining materials.

The quality of the materials is described by the following properties: temperature range in which glazing effects occur; temperature range in which carbonization effects occur; steady-state value of the coefficient of friction; wear (decrease in thickness) of the lining; and sensitivity of the lining material to moisture.